Bird Watching with Bert

Bird Watching with Bert is a 1991 Sesame Street Golden Sight n' Sound Book that follows Bert, Ernie and Grover as they search for a yellow-bellied sapsucker. As they see many woodland creatures, Bert expresses only mild, temporary enthusiasm, unappeased without his goal. In all twelve illustrations within the book, a yellow-bellied sapsucker subtly appears, unnoticed by the characters.

Early on in the search, Grover spots a robin, which "puffs out its red breast. It looks so proud!" As the wooded trail turned, Ernie spots a grasshopper. Bert "spied some pieces from a little blue egg", and suspects the mother robin and her chicks are nearby. The guess is correct, as Bert sees her feeding her babies, through his binoculars. Ernie spots a "one big bird", which Bert identifies as a crow, "one of the most intelligent birds", and as Grover points out, one of the most noisy.

Grover then pretends to be a bumblebee; Ernie comments that Grover's just like a bumblebee, while he himself is "more like a robin." Grover changes his mind, wanting to be like a grasshopper instead of bee, and Ernie suggests Bert is like a crow "because a crow is a very smart bird!". Bert whines "I do not want to be a crow. All I want is to see a yellow-bellied sapsucker."

Ernie spots a bullfrog, which Grover proceeds to act like, then spots a chipmunk eating acorns. Ernie and Grover list off all the interesting animals they've seen on their hike, Bert still sighs, expressing that his heart is still set on a sapsucker. Ernie thinks he sees one of a branch, but Bert identifies it as a dove. Ernie hears a "racket in the field over there", which Grover identifies as three blue jays. "Groovy!" Bert says, commenting that they're having a "blue jay party". He starts to cheer up, as they review the animals they've seen.

The three see a loon, which Grover decides that he'd like to be like. They soon hear a rustle in the bushes, and spot yellow through the leaves. "A big yellow bird crashed through the thicket. He was carrying a picnic basket." Ernie asks Bert if he'd settle for Big Bird as a substitute, which Bert agrees. The three review what animals they've seen to Big Bird. They settle in to eat brownies, that Big Bird baked himself.